ExxonMobil has stepped back into the African exploration game after applying for acreage offshore Liberia, a country it quit in 2017.

In recent years, the US giant has been heavily focused on exploring its prolific Stabroek block offshore Guyana where billions of barrels of oil have been found, only now and then dipping into other wildcat plays in Cyprus and Canada to hunt down further resources.

Africa, where countries such as Angola and Nigeria were once the supermajor’s go-to exploration venues, have gradually dwindled in importance, becoming production cash cows.